Reflections
by Tragic Ophelia
Summary: Rory entagles herself into a plan... But how does she do it? And who?
1. Meetings

A/N: Just a short, reflective little thingy.... Who knows where I'm going with it. Leigh is Rory, for those of ya who are slow. There really is a Starbucks at 41st & Broadway.

Lorelai Leigh Gilmore sat at the huge desk situated in her office. She was the youngest editor of the _New York Times _in over a century. She glanced around the brightly lit office. The sunlight was pouring in through the large windows behind her. The beige walls were filled with awards and accolades she had accumulated since she had graduated college ten years before. Everything was very sleek and modern, mostly black or chrome. 

"Leigh, it's Ethan. I've got an article you need to read," said a voice over her intercom. Leigh sat up in her oversized leather chair.

"What's it about?"

"Well, there's two... One about Stars Hollow, and the other is about a former Chilton students. Graduated with the class of 2003," Ethan said.

"Yeah, come on up." Leigh said. "Chilton... Wow. Haven't thought about that place in a long time," she muttered. There was a knock on her door, and Leigh called for them to come in.

"Hey, Leigh. How was your vacation?" Ethan asked when he came in. Ethan Thompson was the social editor of the _Times_, and one of Leigh's best friends. 

"Great... Nothing like Paris in the spring," Leigh said. "So, let me see the article on Stars Hollow first." Ethan handed it over, and she saw how it was about the quaint little town. It basically was a cute, fluffy little piece. 

"I just thought you might like it. It mentions the Inn a few times," Ethan said.

"Ah, yes... 'Owner Lorelai Danes is especially proud of her daughter, Lorelai L. Gilmore, editor of the _NY Times_.' Why did they include that?" Leigh groaned.

"Because, as it says, you are _their _Rory," Ethan said.

"I gave up that name when I went to Harvard," Leigh said. "It was too childish, I thought... Why is it still haunting me?" she moaned, thumping her head on her glass desk.

"Watch it, Leigh. Remember what happened last time that happened?"

"Right. I'll try to contain it. Why did they make me go to the hospital anyway? I was fine..."

"After you regained consciousness, might I add."

"Minor technical details," Leigh said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah... So you want that piece about your fellow Chiltonites?" Ethan asked. 

"Wait... On the intercom thingy, you said one... There's two now?" Leigh asked.

"Actually, it focuses on two, but includes several of them. I did this story myself," Ethan said proudly. 

"Great. Can I read it now?" Leigh asked. Ethan handed her a clipping, and she quickly scanned the headline.

__

DuGrey Heir marries Geller

Former Chilton Preparatory student Tristan Janlen DuGrey married a fellow classmate of his, Paris Rachel Geller, over the weekend. DuGrey is the heir to DuGrey Inc., a company started by his great-grandfather, Janlen DuGrey . The wedding was a lavish ceremony. Attendants for the bride were Louise Grant, Madeline Lawrence, and Lane Cho.

"Lane?! My former best friend Lane was there?! I am so going to kill her!" Leigh screamed.

"You know these people?"

"Louise and Madeline were vapid, shallow airheads. Paris almost beat me, but I did become valedictorian. Tristan was... Hell, he was the bane of my existence," Leigh said, continuing "At least at Chilton." She got up and crossed the room to a large coffee maker, pouring herself a cup very quickly.

"You know, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think he loves hr," Ethan said. "Well, I've got to go. Society never rests!" He walked put of her office, shutting the door behind him. Leigh crossed back over the room to her desk, flipping through her Rolodex. She pulled out a card and dialed the number.

"DuGrey Inc. How may I help you?"

"This is Lorelai L. Gilmore, editor of the _New York Times_. I was wondering if I could speak with Tristan DuGrey," Leigh said.

"I'll connect you right away, Ms. Gilmore!" said the eager secretary. Leigh laughed at her thoughts, knowing that the secretary was either a temp or she was new. 

"Tristan DuGrey." he answered.

"Hello, this is Lorelai Gilmore," she said in a calm voice, which was completely opposite of what she was feeling.

"Ms. Gilmore, what can I do for you?" Tristan said. He was sitting in his office in New York City, glancing at the same clipping Leigh had been staring at moments before.

"I was wondering if we could get together... I'd like to do a small piece on you. Something for our readers to connect with. When are you available?" Leigh asked. 

"I'm available now. Where do you want to meet?"

"There's a Starbucks at 41st and Broadway. I'll meet you there at 11:00. Will that be okay?" Leigh asked, staring at the clock that said 10:45.

"Yeah, sounds good. See you, Ms. Gilmore," Tristan said, hanging up. "Gilmore? No... I doubt it's Rory. It couldn't be! Could it?"

****

Starbucks

As Leigh sat down, she couldn't help but feel nervous. After all, she was meeting up with one of the guys from her past. How often did that happen?

"Excuse me... Are you Lorelai Gilmore?" said a voice.

"Yes... Tristan DuGrey, I presume?"

"That would be me. Would you like a coffee?" Tristan asked. If this was Rory, she couldn't refuse.

"I already have one, thank you. Please, have a seat." Tristan sat down, and she continued. "Alright... I have to admit that my reasons for this were not all business. "

"Mary, Mary... Did you not know that I was married?"

"I knew. I wanted to see you. It's been what, ten years?" Leigh asked. "And I go by Leigh now. No one confuses me with some girl or with my mother."

"Some girl? Have you grown up, _Leigh?_

"Yes, I have, Tristan. How's Paris?" 

"She's good... Happier than I've ever really seen her. She has been since the day I asked her out," Tristan said.

"What about you?"

"I don't know. I admit, I am glad that I no longer have to suffer through the dating scene, but I'm not sure about anything other than that," Tristan admitted. Leigh silently cheered, knowing this could be good. "How's Bagboy?"

"I wouldn't know. We broke up before I left for Harvard. I'll be right back, okay?" Leigh said. She ordered a coffee and some chocolate covered espresso beans, before returning.

""Enough caffeine, Mare?"

"I resent that. Can you ever have too much caffeine? And don't call me Mare, or Mary, or anything like that!" Leigh said.

"Think of it as... A nickname. A good nickname," Tristan said. The two acquaintances talked until Leigh's cell phone rang.

"Sorry, but Tris, I have to go. Talk to you later, okay? We aren't going to see each other every ten years, and at reunions. See you!" Leigh said, before kissing him on the cheek and running out of the cafe.

"Wow... It was her."

****

New York Times Offices

Leigh sat down at the end of the day. She looked over the entire office again, then flopped onto the large black leather sofa that was against one wall, near her door. She thought back on the day's events.

"Tristan... Wow. He looked good. It's been so long, and his marriage to Paris complicates things. I guess we would've killed each other in the long run, but I... I've missed him," Leigh said. It was all she would admit to at the moment. "After all this hard work, what do I have? Nothing... My best friend works with me. I haven't talked to anyone from my past, save Tristan, and I've tried my hardest to forget everyone and everything. I don't have anything to show for my life... Except meaningless awards. I guess that for now, it will have to do," she said. She picked up her purse, and walked out of her office, flipping the light out as she went.

"Goodbye, Rory."


	2. Phonecalls, Dinner, and A Club

A/N: I wasn't sure I was going to continue this, but whatever. It felt good to be writing again. Btw, they're all about 27. And please-either tell me to make this a Trory or a Paris/Tristan and Rory/Someone new who has not been named yet... 

****

A Week Later, Leigh's Apartment

Leigh opened the door to her spacious SoHo loft. She had called Louise and Madeline, and was meeting them at some club on the Upper East side in a little over two hours. She checked her messages, and almost dropped the travel mug she was holding.

"Ror? It's Tristan. I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up for dinner or something with Paris and me, of course. Just call me. You've got my number, I'm sure." She waited for a click, then casually reached for her purse. Several minutes later, she returned triumphantly with a small white business card, and flipped it over quickly and dialed the number on the back.

"What?" the other line answered.

"Jess! I think I'm trying to ruin my life... Or someone else's... It's so complicated. Remember my trip to Paris a few weeks ago? Well, when I got back, I saw that Tristan-"

"Bible boy? Spawn of Satan? Evil Tristan?" Jess interjected, knowing it would be the only way to get her to breathe.

"Yes. Now shut up. Anyway, he married Paris. Yes, Paris Geller. So anyway, I met up with him that day. It was exactly a week ago. Now he wants to meet me for dinner."

"So call him, arrange it for tomorrow, and I'll go with you. Moral support and all."

"Yes... What if he thinks it's a date between us? Or that we're sleeping together?"

"Ror, Just say something like 'My cousin Jess might join us.' You know, there is always a reasonable explanation..." Jess said patiently. 

"Oh..."

"Oh? Is that all my perfect cousin Rory can say now?"

"I stopped going by Rory years ago. Now stop calling me that!"

"Fine, _Leigh_..."

"Argh! I don't even know why I bother..."

"It's because you love me, Leigh..."

"Ha!"

"Now call Tristan. Any ideas where?"

"Not a clue. I really don't want to deal with it. I have always hated making plans," Leigh said. She heard Jess laughing on the other line and finally hung up on him. Taking out another card, she dialed the number on the back of that one.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Why are you calling, me?"

"Tris! Stop it... Well, at least you didn't call me mini-me." 

"Mini-me?"

"Lorelai's nickname for me. I think she watched Austin Powers 2 way too many times... And that, along with coffee, is where she got my ridiculous nickname. Better than some others, like Mary, any day though," Leigh said.

"So you calling about going out to dinner?"

"Yeah. When do you want to go?"

"Tomorrow sound okay? Paris is out with some friends tonight, so I'm staying at work."

"Makes some sort of weird sense. Yeah, tomorrow's great. My cousin Jess will probably join us."

"Your cousin?"

"We were friends, then best friends, then my mother married Luke and so Jess became my step cousin. But to me, it's not really important. I can tease him anyway. Plus Mom's marriage to Luke made it easier for us to get coffee. Actually, come to think of it, it's easier for her to get coffee. I still have to beg and plead to get it... And I used to get it so easily!" 

'I see," Tristan said chuckling.

"This is not funny, Tristan! Anyway, make the plans, then call me tomorrow. I'm going out with Madeline and Louise tonight."

"I thought you thought they were vapid and airheads."

"It's okay... It's exactly what I need tonight," Leigh said.

"Alright. See ya."

"Later." She hung up the phone, and smiled. She went and took a shower before putting on makeup. She had on a silver eye shadow that brought out the blue in her eyes, and blush that accented her cheekbones. The lipstick she was wearing was a pale pink, and almost barely there. She let her hair dry naturally, leaving soft waves to her hair. She then headed for her closet, noticing she had thirty minutes before she had to meet the pair. She laid out a few outfits, then finally called Lorelai.

"Hey mini-me."

"Hi mommy. Help me pick out something to wear. I'm going with Madeline and Louise to Time, that club?"

"Yeah, I know that club. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, there's the bebe outfit, which is a green floral halter dress with asymmetrical hem. Worn with open toed wooden shoes with leather straps. Simple silver bangles accompany the dress."

"I remember the dress... Next option?"

"The Banana Republic outfit. A boysenberry skirt with ruffles at the bottom, worn with a black lace camisole. Leather slides and a black baguette bag complete said look."

"Right then... Next?"

"Mixed, but looks good. A black Prada knee length skirt, a teal Marc Jacobs cashmere sweater, and black Manalo Blahniks. Silver bracelet..."

"I have an entirely different outfit in mind... Okay... Remember that blue shirtdress? Actually, it might be teal.. Or maybe purple..."

"It's light blue, and yes, I remember it. The Anna Sui one..."

"Wear that! It's soooo cute!" Lorelai gushed. Leigh laughed as she heard Luke in the background refusing her more coffee.

"Okay... shoes?"

"The ones, with the little heels." 

"Right... Which pair would that be again, mom?"

"The wooden ones! Sky? Ring a bell?" Lorelai asked, happily sipping coffee.

"I know! You are the best mom! I have to go... Meeting them in twenty minutes... Bye!" Leigh hung up & quickly got dressed in the sleeveless shirtdress that buttoned up, and fell just above her knees. She slipped on a pair of slides with Sabrina heels, and grabbed her purse and cell phone and ran out the door. When she got to the club, she promptly found Louise.

"Hey, Lou."

"Leigh! How are you?" Louise asked, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Wonderful. Are you back in the states yet? Or are you just here for a few more weeks?"

"I'm back... Paris lost it's excitement. I know you were there the day I left, I saw you in the airport, chatting on your cell. Happy to be back?"

"Yeah, I guess.... Nothing like having a Starbucks every two blocks here."

"Ah, but the quaint cafes there..."

"Yeah. Where's Madeline?" Leigh asked, and if almost on cue, Madeline appeared next to them.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerily.

"Hey Madeline," Leigh and Louise said in unison. Each of them walked to their tables and ordered drinks.

"So have either of you talked with Paris lately?" Leigh asked.

"yeah, I have," Madeline said. "She's ecstatic about being Paris DuGrey now... I'm not even sure how it happened, and I used to be Paris' roommate. We were still roommates when Tristan showed up..."

"Have you talked to Tristan?" Leigh asked.

"No, I haven't... Have you, Louise?"

"No, I haven't spoken with either of them," Louise said. "Oh god... Paris and her friends June and Athens are here..." she said, spotting them across the room.

"You guys don't get along? But what about the wedding?"

"Parents. They think it looks good if Paris has her childhood friends as attendants... I would've rather been shot," Louise said, with Madeline nodding in agreement. The trio groaned slightly when they noticed Paris was coming towards them.

"Louise, Madeline! Why are you here, Gilmore?"

"Aw, still touchy that you lost out as Editor? Get over it, Paris," Leigh said. "By the way, don't waste all your insults now. We're going out to dinner tomorrow."

"No we aren't. I can tell you are still delusional, Gilmore," Paris snapped.

"Whatever you say," Leigh said. She watched as Paris stalked away, taking her two cronies with her. "Lunatic. Who let her into the world?"

"Good question... You're having dinner with her?" Louise asked. "Remind me to come identify your body tomorrow, Leigh."

"Yeah. Tristan and I talked earlier today, we're meeting for dinner tomorrow. Thank god Jess is going with me," Leigh said.

"My Jess? Jess Danes?"

"Yes, that would be Jess... You don't mind if I steal him, right Madeline?"

"Of course not... I understand the need for someone to hold you back... But I'm sure that Tristan would be more than happy to," Madeline said.

"What do you mean?"

"You still don't know? Clueless girl..." Leigh looked at her watch, then decided she ought to leave. The trio had been there for awhile now, so it was okay.

"I've got to work on an article. I'll call tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can go shopping later," Leigh said, standing up and grabbing her purse.

"Bye Leigh!" The girls chorused. After she walked out, she dialed Jess' number.

"Yeah?"

"It's me... Again."

"Yeah, yeah. I do have caller ID, Ror."

"Leigh!"

"Rory...."

"Fine."

"Anyway, why did you call?"

"I wanted to tell you that Tristan is making the plans, and Maddie said that you were free for tomorrow..."

"Oh, yeah... She doesn't mind?"

"She saw Paris, too, tonight, along with two of her friends... That's why I'm calling, I guess...."

"Why?" 

"Savvvvvvvvvvvve me!! Paris is still an awful, horrid person! She's going to keep shooting glances at me tomorrow as I'm speaking, then between the main course and dessert, she'll try to beat me to death with a spoon! And then I'll never be able to properly ingest coffee again, and Luke will have to attach an IV to my arm anytime I want coffee. And you'll have to put up with my insane rants while I'm going through withdrawal..." 

"I can call Madeline right now and make sure we have something to do, Rory," Jess said, listening to his cousin's insane ranting.

"I'll stop! Just promise me that you will play the peacemaker.... And if that doesn't work, and I leave feeling bad, you'll take me out for coffee?"

"Yes, dear cousin of mine..." Jess said.

"Great! Jess, I'm home, so I'll talk to you tomorrow!"

"Later, Ror," he said, hanging up. He sighed, all the while wondering how he got into this mess.


End file.
